By Design, the girl group is as blatant a male-fantasy vehicle as the strip-o-gram. The notion of young women in provocative costumes cooing and swaying in carefully choreographed bliss holds endless lascivious possibilities, as any Spice Girls video can attest. Yet the most successful girl groups have ultimately held the greatest appeal for women, because the sexy, glamorous singers have made it clear that they wouldn't be cheap dates or doormats in relationships. In 1992, when the funky divas of En Vogue informed a wayward Romeo that he was "never gonna get it," they put teeth behind the plea that the Supremes made years ago in "Stop! In the Name of Love."

Of course, even Diana Ross was sometimes a fool for love. Likewise, on their new album, EV3, the three remaining members of En Vogue – Dawn Robinson left the fold earlier this year to pursue a solo career – emphasize sentimentality over sass. Song titles like "Love Makes You Do Thangs" and "You're All I Need" sum up the gist of these gracefully produced pop-funk confections, which singers Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron and Maxine Jones render with their usual creamy elegance. Even more aggressive tunes like the slow-burning "Don't Let Go (Love)" and the shimmering, sinuous "Let It Flow" promote romantic and carnal abandon, advising lovers to proceed without caution.

Predictably, though, the ladies set limits on their open-heart policy. In the sweetly wistful "Too Gone, Too Long," a persistent cad receives this simple message: "The door is locked/You can't get in." You go, girls. (RS 764/765)

ELYSA GARDNER